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UPSC Essentials brings to you its initiative of subject-wise quizzes. These quizzes are designed to help you revise some of the most important topics from the static part of the syllabus. Each day, we will cover one new subject. Attempt today’s subject quiz on Environment, Geography, Science and Technology to check your progress. Come back tomorrow to solve the Economy Quiz.
With reference to the CBO (compulsory blending obligation), consider the following statements:
1. The objective of the CBO is to stimulate demand for compressed biogas in the city gas distribution sector.
2. India announced mandatory biogas blending for domestic use from 2025-26.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
With reference to the Ken-Betwa Link Project, consider the following statements:
1. The project will immensely benefit the water-starved region of Bundelkhand.
2. The link project passes through the Pench Tiger Reserve.
3. The Ken-Betwa Link Project passes through a drought-prone region, which spreads across districts of Uttar Pradesh only.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is associated with:
(a) United Nations Environment Programme
(b) Greenpeace
(c) Global Environment Facility
(d) European Union
With reference to the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), consider the following statements:
1. It is an ocean-atmosphere interaction in the Indian Ocean.
2. It is a much stronger system than El Nino.
3. During a positive IOD, warm waters are pushed to the eastern part of the Indian Ocean, while cold deep waters are brought up to the surface in the western Indian Ocean.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
Consider the following statements about deep sea mining:
1. It involves removing mineral deposits and metals from the ocean’s seabed.
2. The high seas and the international ocean floor are governed by the Ocean Conservancy.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
FYI:
— India announced a roadmap for mandatory blending of compressed biogas (CBG) in the transportation and home segments of the city gas distribution (CGD) sector in a staggered way.
— The National Biofuels Coordination Committee (NBCC) given its nod to mandatory blending of CBG with compressed natural gas (CNG) for vehicles and piped natural gas (PNG) for households starting 2025-26 (FY26).
— India announced mandatory biogas blending for domestic use from 2025-26. The compulsory blending obligation will be 1% of total CNG and domestic PNG use in FY26, 3% in FY27, and 4% in FY28. The duty requires 5% blending beginning in fiscal year 29. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
— A Central Repository Body (CRB) will monitor and carry out the blending obligation.
— The major aims of the CBO (compulsory blending obligation) are to increase demand for CBG in CGD sector, import replacement for liquefied natural gas (LNG), save in forex, encourage circular economy and aid in meeting the target of net-zero emission, etc. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
— Biogas is an energy-dense gas created by the anaerobic breakdown of biomass. It is created from a variety of sources, including agricultural leftovers, bovine dung, sugarcane press mud, municipal solid waste, and sewage treatment plant waste.
— India is a big natural gas consumer, relying on imports to cover around half of its demand.
Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.
FYI:
— The Ken-Betwa link project is the first project under the National Perspective Plan for the interlinking of rivers.
— It envisages transferring water from the Ken River to the Betwa River, both tributaries of the Yamuna.
— The Ken-Betwa Link Canal will be 221 km long, including a 2 km long tunnel.
— The Ken-Betwa Link Project lies in Bundelkhand, a drought-prone region, which spreads across 13 districts of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Hence, statement 1 is correct and statement 3 is not correct.
— The project has two phases, with mainly four components.
(i) Phase-I will involve one of the components — the Daudhan Dam complex and its subsidiary units such as Low-Level Tunnel, High-Level Tunnel, Ken-Betwa Link Canal and powerhouses.
(ii) Phase II will involve three components — Lower Orr Dam, Bina Complex Project and Kotha Barrage.
— Out of the 6,017 ha of forest area coming under submergence of Daudhan dam of Ken Betwa Link Project, 4,206 ha of area lies within the core tiger habitat of Panna Tiger Reserve. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.
FYI:
— To ensure that European firms do not face a competitive disadvantage in the worldwide market, the EU Commission is considering a CO2 tax on imports from outside the bloc.
— Following extensive negotiations in Brussels, members of the European Parliament and representatives from EU member states struck an agreement.
— The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is a world first that will affect imported goods from industries with high emissions, such as steel, cement, aluminium, fertilisers, and energy generation.
— It means that if a firm in the EU wants to sell steel but does not meet EU environmental requirements — or does not compensate for the associated emissions in some way — the importer must purchase CO2 pollution certificates proportional to the level of climate damage.
Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.
FYI:
— The IOD is an ocean-atmosphere interaction comparable to El Nino variations in the Pacific Ocean that occurs, as the name implies, in the Indian Ocean. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
— It is a much weaker system than El Nino, and thus has relatively limited impacts. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
— During a positive phase, warm waters are pushed to the western Indian Ocean, while cold deep waters rise to the surface in the eastern Indian Ocean. This pattern is reversed during the negative phase of the IOD. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.
— IOD, sometimes referred to as the Indian Nino, is a similar phenomenon, playing out in the relatively smaller area of the Indian Ocean between the Indonesian and Malaysian coastline in the east and the African coastline near Somalia in the west.
— IOD is said to be positive when the western side of the Indian Ocean, near the Somalia coast, becomes warmer than the eastern Indian Ocean. It is negative when the western Indian Ocean is cooler.
Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.
(Other Source: sealevel.jpl.nasa.gov)
FYI:
— Deep Sea Mining involves removing mineral deposits and metals from the ocean’s seabed. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
— There are three types of such mining: taking deposit-rich polymetallic nodules off the ocean floor, mining massive seafloor sulphide deposits and stripping cobalt crusts from rock.
— These nodules, deposits and crusts contain materials, such as nickel, rare earths, cobalt and more, that are needed for batteries and other materials used in tapping renewable energy and also for everyday technology like cellphones and computers.
— Countries manage their own maritime territory and exclusive economic zones, while the high seas and the international ocean floor are governed by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
— It is regarded to apply to all states, whether or not they have signed or ratified it.
— According to the treaty, the seabed and its mineral riches are considered the “common heritage of mankind” and must be handled in a way that protects humanity’s interests by sharing economic benefits, funding marine scientific research, and protecting marine environments.
Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.
Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 62)
Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 62)
Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment, Geography, Science and Technology (Week 61)
Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 61)
Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 61)
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